


Bakeneko

by TwinEnigma



Series: Variables [13]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chuunin Exams, Everyone Needs A Hug, Gen, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sasuke is a Mess, Supernatural Elements, The wave mission is a universal constant, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto Friendship, Uchiha Sasuke-centric, Weirdness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2008-10-06
Updated: 2008-10-06
Packaged: 2019-08-22 03:42:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 6,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16590209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwinEnigma/pseuds/TwinEnigma
Summary: A D-rank mission Team Seven takes alters the course of events in the Chuunin Exams. Sasuke doesn't like what he's turning into.





	1. D-rank

            The mission was simple – D-ranked, animal control.  A rabid animal of some sort was eating livestock in the civilian sector of Konoha, near the borders of the city proper and close to several large wooded training grounds.  Team 7 picked up the mission, promptly reminded to exercise caution if the animal did indeed prove to be rabid, and moved out.

            Kakashi had them focus on a small area where a large number of the attacks had occurred and outlined a general game plan.  They would rig and conceal traps along one street and then Kakashi and Naruto would flush the animal out and herd it into the path of the traps, which Sasuke and Sakura would trigger.  It took the better part of several hours to block off the streets and conceal traps to their sensei’s satisfaction, but the end result was a deadly bottleneck where they could terminate the animal easily.

            The sun slipped below the horizon at last and Kakashi signaled for them to take positions.  Sakura sprang up to her rooftop lookout, while Sasuke sunk into a concealed window and then Naruto and Kakashi were off, speeding into the growing night, the full moon illuminating them in ghostly shadows.

            Now, it was a waiting game.

            A sudden whistle brought Sasuke to full alert – Sakura had spotted them and they were headed this way.  He drew a kunai and tensed, ready to throw the weapon for the killing strike, and then the beast was there.  His first throw missed and he cursed: the animal, most likely a dog, was faster than he’d thought.

            The next thing Sasuke knew, he was on his back on a cement floor, the full bulk of the creature on his chest, its jaw clamped firmly on his shoulder.  He scrabbled for another weapon as he kicked and fought, finally grabbing a pot of some sort and smashing it on its head.  It yowled in pain and let him go, but seemed to be ready to lunge again.  Several shuriken peppered its flanks as Kakashi and Naruto both caught up and the animal scrambled deeper into the house. 

            A child’s screaming erupted from the next room.  Kakashi gave Sasuke a look that said he would end the animal’s life swiftly and then disappeared from sight.  A dull thud echoed from the next room and Kakashi reappeared, motioning for Naruto to signal Sakura that it was safe.

            “Hang in there,” the jounin said, pulling a roll of bandages from his pouches.  “You’re gonna be okay.”

            Sasuke didn’t say anything: the adrenaline was wearing off and now he could really feel the pain from his shoulder and back.


	2. C Rank

            The mission was marked a success, despite Sasuke having to be admitted to the hospital overnight for treatment and requiring several painful shots of rabies vaccine.  He was advised to take it easy for a few days so as not to undo the medic nin’s efforts in healing his shoulder and Team 7 once again started into their D-rank mission load.

            Ten days later, Naruto loudly pitched a fit in the mission office and landed them their first C-rank escort mission to Wave.

            It was a welcome change of pace.  Tazuna, the crusty old codger, was an irritating drunk and criticized the look of them constantly.  Of course, they showed him when the Demon Brothers appeared and then Kakashi grilled the old coot for info, clearly irritated at the lies that had bumped them up one, if not more, mission ranks.

            Sasuke sneezed, wiping down his kunai.  The stench of poison still lingered, making his eyes itch.

            They pressed on.


	3. B rank

            The Wave mission ended on a bittersweet note.  Wave was free of Gatou and the Great Naruto Bridge would bring prosperity for the struggling country.  The three Konoha genin saw it as an end of innocence: they had brushed close to death against Zabuza and Haku, who might have been friends in other circumstances.  It was sobering reminder of what they had agreed to when they passed their Academy exams.

            Team 7 rested in Wave for a little while afterwards to allow both Sasuke and Kakashi to regain their strength.  Naruto and Sakura busied themselves with training and interacting with the people of Wave, politely accepting gifts and praise on behalf of the whole team.  Meanwhile, Kakashi read his books and avoided Sasuke’s attempts to learn how he came to possess a single Sharingan eye.

            Finally, frustrated with his teacher’s evasiveness, Sasuke stormed out, intent on training or sparring or _something_ to work off his rage.

            If it had been any softer, he would have missed Kakashi’s sigh: “You really are like Obito sometimes.”


	4. Reflection

            Soon after Team 7 returned to Konoha, the registration for the chuunin exams began.  There was no question – they would participate.  Kakashi had placed his confidence in them and, quite frankly, the three of them had never felt more ready.  Their teamwork had improved in leaps and bounds and their combat prowess had already been tested against superior opponents in the field.

            Sasuke was looking forward to the exams.  He’d been feeling restless ever since he’d returned, with all his senses riding on razor’s edge.  Perhaps it was that name Kakashi had mentioned – Obito, wasn’t it – that was setting him off.  It was eerie to think that he resembled someone who must have died a long time ago, even if it was just in actions, and so, sneezing violently at the dust, Sasuke dug through his clan records in search of this dead man.

            He found a photo of a boy, little older than he was, with a broad, cheesy smile and orange-tinted goggles.  Something in the face reminded him of that idiot Naruto and he recoiled at the very idea of being compared to someone so irritating.  His fingers lingered on the page though, tracing over the blood red KIA stamp and a date some thirteen or so years previously – Obito had died a chuunin, at the age of thirteen.

            Sasuke vowed that he would not share the same fate.


	5. Chuunin Exams

            Team 7 entered the exam and, despite some initial bickering with other entrants, they settled into the first part of the exam, reconnaissance and stealth.  Sakura knew everything on this test and Sasuke discreetly copied her hand movements.  Naruto seemed to have his end covered as well and assured that they would move on to the next section of the exam by shooting off his mouth in his usual manner.

            The Forest of Death loomed over them, wild and pulsing with unknown danger, but with Naruto leading the way, Team 7 plunged through the gates.

            They hadn’t gone overly far when the wind shifted to come from behind them and Sasuke caught the scent of blood.  Someone was trailing them, someone who’d recently killed.  He signaled his teammates with his hand, indicating he needed to speak with them and launched ahead, keeping a steady pace.

            Naruto and Sakura fell into step beside him easily. 

            “What’s up, Sasuke-kun?” Sakura asked.

            “We’re being followed,” he replied, keeping focused on the path ahead.  “Wind shifted – I can smell the blood.”

            Naruto frowned, turning his head a bit and tapping his chakra.  He took a deep breath and his frown deepened.  “You’re right.  It’s faint, but it’s getting closer.”

            Sasuke repressed the sudden queasiness in his gut – what was wrong with his teammates?  He could clearly smell the stench from here!

            “They’re probably after our scroll,” Sakura reasoned.  “We could set up traps and ambush them.”

            “No,” Sasuke bit out, his tone startling both his teammates.  Quickly, he added, “We need to pick and choose our battles.  We don’t even know if they have the right scroll.”

            Sakura gave him a very concerned look and Naruto harrumphed, looking thoroughly put upon.

            Then, Sakura smiled, a very sly expression breaking across her face.  “Say, Naruto – how many of those clones can you make?”

            “Loads, Sakura-chan!”  Naruto said, proudly.  “Why do you ask?”

            “Can you henge them?” she asked, and suddenly Sasuke knew exactly where she was going with this.  Clever girl, he mused.

            “Sure!” Naruto said, puffing up even more.  “I can make them look like anyone I want!”

            “Great!” Sakura said, clapping her hands together eagerly.  “Can you make seven of them look like me, seven like Sasuke-kun and make seven more that look like you?”

            Naruto slammed his hand into a familiar seal, scoffing, “Pfft, easy!”

            The twenty-one clones burst into existence in groups of threes and kept easy pace with them, looking like an eerie army of Team 7s.

            “We can use them to distract who’s ever following us,” Sakura said, smiling triumphantly.

            Naruto nodded in approval.

            “It won’t fool them, if they’re a tracker,” Sasuke said, finally.  “They all smell like Naruto.”

            Offended, the blond boy shrieked, “What the hell!  Are you saying I stink?”

            Sasuke ground his teeth and snarled, “No!  Remember how Kiba and his dog can track people by scent?  All your clones have the same scent!”

            “Oh, well, that’s easy to fix,” Naruto said, suddenly calm again.  Then, he lashed out, tearing off a section of Sasuke’s shirt.

            “What the hell is wrong with you, idiot?” Sasuke yelled, almost caught off balance mid-leap by the action.

            Naruto tore up the piece of shirt into strips, mentally directing the Sasuke-shaped clones to come close one at a time, and tied a strip to each of their wrists, only for it to ripple and vanish under a henge.  “You’ve been sweating on your shirt, so it’ll have your scent on it pretty strongly,” he said, rather plainly, as if it was painfully obvious.  “Sakura, I’ll need a part of your dress, too.”

            Sakura blushed, muttering to herself, and tore off her sleeves.  “Don’t get any ideas.”

            Naruto chuckled and set to work, tearing them up and tying them to the wrists of the Sakura-shaped clones.

            “We need a plan,” Sasuke said, absently.  Scenarios whirred through his head and the memory of Obito’s KIA file flashed before his eyes.  He was only a chunnin, only thirteen – Sasuke was a genin and barely thirteen.  “We can’t go directly to the tower.  They’ll expect that.”

            Sakura looked thoughtful and finally said, “We should scatter the clone teams as if we were using a multi-pronged assault on a fixed position – two to the east, four on a direct route to the tower, and then we’ll go west with the remaining clones.  We circle around, get the right scroll and hurry to the tower under cover.”

            Naruto nods, silently directing his clones, some of which have already started bickering between each other in a very convincing manner, into the correct formations.  Then, Team 7 and its copies broke away, scattering into the Forest of Death like leaves upon the wind.

            Five minutes later, Naruto informed them that their pursuer, a long-haired Grass-nin, had eliminated the first batch of clones headed directly for the tower.  They didn’t need to be told to pick up the pace.


	6. Rest Stop

            Eventually, they did have to rest and found a secure location in the base of an old tree.  It had formerly been the warren of some animal and was easily concealed and booby-trapped.  Naruto sent some more decoy teams to spread their scent elsewhere, Sakura took stock of their weapons, and Sasuke broke out some of their field rations (just add water for instant cardboard, he joked, and they smiled weakly).  Finally, the three genin slumped into the recesses of matted leaves and dander, choking down the bland high-protein rations in near complete darkness, and whispering about the possible reason that the Grass-nin was so doggedly after them and strategies for the next day.

            They slept fitfully despite their exhaustion, piled on each other like puppies, clinging to each other for dear life.  Because, really, they were just children and this was not a game and everyone was a whole lot better than them – and, oh gods, what had they been thinking when they signed those forms?

            Even in their sleep, they clutched their kunai tightly.


	7. Ambush

            Dawn broke and Team 7 emerged cautiously – Naruto informed them three more teams of his clones had been dispatched during the night, moving towards the east.  It was agreed that they would be extra careful and take a more westerly route, again using the clones as decoys.  Then, once again, the three genin were on their way.

            Naruto had settled down into a bizarre silence – he seemed to sense that this was not the time for juvenile behavior.  Every once in a while, he’d report that another group of his clones had been destroyed and their approximate position and then he would lapse back into silence.  Perhaps he was starting to feel the strain of using such a technique, or perhaps it was merely anxiety about their current situation.

            Sakura, likewise, had become silent.  She too seemed to be far more serious and nervous.  Likely, she was trying to figure out why their pursuer hadn’t given up and what, if any, their real target was.  They could have easily obtained other prey by now if they were just after the scroll.

            The wind shifted and brushed the scent of straw and metal through the air.  Sasuke sniffed, fighting the urge to sneeze, and signaled his teammates to slow and drop into the underbrush.  The scent was stronger now, though it was several more meters before he could hear broken bits of conversation.  He frowned when he finally caught sight of the sound genin – they were farther away than he’d thought.

            Naruto flipped through hand signals, wordlessly asking him what the plan was.

            _Hit hard and fast from their flank._

            Sakura shook her head, her hand flipping through a second set of rapid signals.  _Kunai with explosive tags on short timers from above to make a concussion blast, then hard and fast from underground and the flank._

            Sasuke considered it and finally nodded.  He signaled her to head up into the trees and waited, mentally going over the hand seals for their teacher’s decapitation technique.  Beside him, Naruto raised his hands, ready to form the seal for his clone jutsu.

            The explosions were louder than he’d wanted and momentarily disoriented him, but training kicked in and Sasuke was flying through hand seals for the earth element jutsu as fast as he was able.  He was suddenly bursting through the ground beneath the loudmouthed Sound boy and easily pulled him under, switching places with him.  Immediately, he launched into the seals for his family’s prized fireball technique, driving the other two Sound ninja right into the path of Naruto and his small army of clones.  Together, they managed to subdue them and restrain them.

            Sakura descended from the tree shortly thereafter, smiling triumphantly as she flicked her hair over her shoulder and began rifling through the enemy team’s packs for weapons and supplies.  “The scroll’s not in this one,” she announced, moving to the next bag.

            Naruto cracked his knuckles in what affected a menacing manner and glowered at their prisoners.  “Where’s the scroll?”

            The Sound ninja were not cooperative in the slightest, glaring at them in undisguised anger.

            “Not in there either,” Sakura sighed, walking over.  “It’s probably on one of them.”

            Sasuke nodded and stepped towards their prisoners, Naruto only a half-step behind him.

            Several minutes later, Team 7 had the scroll they needed and were disappearing in the direction of the tower with two decoy teams of clones at their sides.


	8. Tower

            Team 7 arrived at the tower without further incident and used the scrolls as ordered to summon their welcome party, their Academy instructor, Iruka.  He told them were to find the facilities, food and a room where they could rest.  He then cautioned them not to leave their room for any other reason until all the teams had arrived – the ANBU were not likely to forgive any pranks.

            Naruto moaned and complained about the rule, right up through dinner.

            “Guys,” Sakura started suddenly.  She had been pushing her noodles around with her chopsticks for a while now, completely preoccupied in thought.  “I think they don’t want any of us outside because the ANBU are looking for someone dangerous.”

            She paused, prodding at the noodles again, and sighed.  “I think they’re looking for whomever was following us in the forest.  You said you smelled blood on him, right, Sasuke?”

            “I’m surprised the both of you missed it,” Sasuke replied, wrinkling his nose in remembered disgust.  “The guy reeked of it!”

            His teammates gave him a pair of very odd looks.

            “Are you okay, Sasuke?  You’ve been acting a little weird,” Sakura said.

            “I’m perfectly fine,” Sasuke groused, slouching in his seat.  “You’re imagining things.”

            Naruto glared at him: “You liar, you’ve been saying weird shit since we entered the forest!”  He took a deep breath and then, in a high falsetto, said, “Oooh, I smell blood!  You stink!  You’re too loud, idiot!  Loud, loud, loud... If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re related to Inuzuka!”

            Sasuke cursed and launched himself across the table, intent on beating the living piss out of his teammate.  Sakura let out a cry of alarm as their food went flying and Naruto laughed, easily darting out of the way.


	9. Destined

            More teams staggered in over the next day, ANBU hovering protectively around them, and the three members of Team 7 watched them intently from the catwalk.  Some did not appear at all and others were shaken or injured.  Sakura seemed particularly concerned, watching and counting off the Konoha teams as they entered.

            “It’s unusual,” the Hyuuga boy, Neji, commented, approaching them.  “The ANBU should not be escorting them back here.  The only people who are supposed to be here are those who were fated to pass.”

            Naruto frowned, starting to open his mouth to say something, and Sakura turned around, but Sasuke cut them off.

            “Someone’s hunting examinees in there,” he said blandly and indicated the doors with a wave of his hand.  “Killed some of them before they came after us.  We were lucky to shake them off like we did – someone else may not have been so lucky.”

            Neji raised a single eyebrow.  “Then you are fortunate that it was your destiny to be here.”

            “Why do you keep saying that shit about fate? It’s creepy,” Naruto piped up.

            The Hyuuga boy stared at the blond silently, as though evaluating him, and then turned around, walking away.

            “Hey!” Naruto shouted, a vein bulging on his forehead.  “I was asking you a question, asshole!”

            Sasuke rolled his eyes and sighed, hitting the palm of his hand against his own forehead.  “Idiot.”

            “Gah, that guy pisses me off!” Naruto exclaimed and balled his hands into fists.  “He’s worse than you!”

            “Was that supposed to be a compliment?” Sasuke deadpanned.

            Sakura giggled as Naruto began to sputter protests.

            Sasuke smirked triumphantly and leaned forward onto the railing.  His gaze slid to the entrance of the tower as the Sound team they’d ambushed came limping in, looking somewhat considerably worse for wear.  They had managed to get the necessary scrolls and were now summoning the chuunin that would welcome them to the next stage. He made a note to himself not to underestimate them in the next portion of the exam – they had been at a disadvantage and still managed to pull through.

            The Sound team caught sight of him as they approached their jounin sensei and their faces immediately darkened in anger.  They spoke in hushed tones with the Sound jounin and pointed out Team 7.  The jounin sensei, a tall pale-skinned man, turned his head to look at them with hungry yellow eyes.

            Sasuke’s eyes widened sharply in fear, his Sharingan immediately activating.  Taking a step backwards, he grabbed Naruto and Sakura by the arms to get their attention.  “We’re going back to the room,” he ordered.  “I’ll explain when we get there.”

            That man – he was a monster and Sasuke didn’t want his team or himself anywhere near him.


	10. Elimination Round

            The exams pressed on into preliminary one-on-one fights.  It seemed that too many teams had successfully made it through to the tower without being disqualified or incapacitated and the members of Team 7 were now officially very worried.  Sakura had gone off to hang out with the other Konoha kunoichi for a while and, when she returned, she’d promptly informed her teammates that the other Konoha teams had not encountered the mysterious Grass-nin that had been pursing Team 7.  Coupled with Sasuke’s earlier heebie-jeebies regarding the Sound jounin, they had good reason to suspect that someone out there had it in for their team.  Of course, they’d also come too damn far to quit now, so they waited and they watched as the computer cycled through its routine, spitting out names for the preliminary rounds.

            Sasuke cursed when his name came up first and decided he’d end this fight fast.  It was too dangerous to expend a lot of energy in fighting – they’d need it later to protect themselves from whoever was after them.

            His opponent, Yoroi Akado, opened up the fight by striking him and trying to suck out his chakra.

            Hissing in anger, Sasuke put some distance between the two of them and reconsidered his strategy.  Contact strikes were out unless he was sure they’d incapacitate the larger man.  Ninjitsu, on the other hand, seemed like the weapon of choice, but his opponent might have some counter as well.

            Sasuke sniffed, reached in his weapons pouch and flung the smoke bomb at his opponent’s head, detonating it.  He relocated, tossing out two large wire-rigged pinwheel shuriken as he tried to outrun the quickly dissipating smoke.

            Yoroi burst out of the smoke in his direction and Sasuke yanked the wires taut, sending the man face-first into the ground.  There was a soft poof and the man was replaced with a log and the man’s hands were suddenly clamped hard on his shoulders.

            Sasuke snarled in anger, a strange cold fury bubbling up within him.  He substituted himself with a log, switching himself so that he appeared right beside the chakra-stealing ninja and delivered a vicious kick to his left kidney.

            Yoroi went flying like a rag doll, his body crashing hard into the wall.  He slid down, unconscious.  The proctor announced Sasuke the winner of the match and then called for a medic.

            Sasuke stared in disbelief and then numbly marched back to the stands to rejoin his team.

            “Great job, Sasuke!” said Sakura, smiling happily.

            Naruto nodded enthusiastically.  “Hell yeah!  I didn’t know you had it in you!”

            Sasuke slumped, his back against the wall, and slid down to the floor, cradling his head in his hands for a moment.

            “Sasuke, are you all right?” Sakura was worried – it was all over the tone of her voice and her scent had changed to something else, something that screamed prey in some disturbing part of his brain, and now Naruto started to exude the same cloying scent.

            He ran his hands down his face and then looked up at his worried teammates.  “Guys, I think there’s something really wrong with me,” he whispered.  “I’m scared.”


	11. Telling

            Naruto sent Sakura to fetch Kakashi and waited with them for their teacher to arrive.  He didn’t poke fun about it, something Sasuke was grateful for, and instead merely mentioned he’d known something was a little off with Sasuke since that first day in the forest.

            “How’d you know?” he asked.

            Naruto shrugged a little, cocking his head to the side.  “You’re not a tracker.  I’m not a total idiot, you know.  That’s something you don’t get good at overnight.  You’re either born with it or...” The blond boy paused, his face screwing up as he thought, and then finished, “That or you got something else going on.”

            Kakashi arrived with Sakura shortly after that and dismissed both Naruto and Sakura as they still had matches to fight.  He then guided Sasuke to a side room and sat him down.  “What’s the problem?  Sakura mentioned it was urgent.”

            Sasuke didn’t know exactly quite how to phrase what was wrong, so he told Kakashi everything.  He told him about the forest, how he’d been able to smell the Grass nin coming before even Naruto did, how he’d guided his team to Sound nin and was surprised that they were farther away than he’d thought they were.  He told him that he shouldn’t have been able to do what he did in that fight and about that strange choking, predatory cold fury that seized him and still lingered in his gut.

            Kakashi asked him a few questions here and there – what did you smell first, how exactly did it feel – and Sasuke answered every one as best he was able.

            “I feel like some part of me wants to attack everything,” he admitted.  “What if I accidentally attacked my teammates?”

            Sasuke didn’t want to hurt them – it’d make him a monster, it’d make him like _that man_ and he never, ever wanted to become like him.

            “I won’t let that happen,” Kakashi said solemnly, picking up on his fear.  “I don’t know exactly what’s going on with you, but I’ll do some research and find a way to help you control this, whatever it is.  For now, though, I want you to go back to the stands and support your teammates.”

            Sasuke nodded, pushing himself to his feet and winced as his shoulder protested.

            “Wait,” Kakashi said, eye narrowing.  “You didn’t injure your shoulder in the match.”

            Sasuke blinked, reaching up to pull down the collar of his shirt.  The scars from the animal bite he’d received almost a full month ago were bright and livid, surrounded by inflamed skin.

            Kakashi gently prodded the inflamed area with a single finger.

            “Ow!” Sasuke hissed through clenched teeth and flinched away.  “That hurt!”

            “It’s infected, of course it’s going to hurt.  Sasuke, as soon as your teammates finish their matches, I want you to go see a medic about that,” Kakashi ordered in a tone that left no room for argument.  He removed one glove and, pushing aside the Konoha hi-ate, placed a hand on Sasuke’s forehead.  “Tch, as I thought – you’ve got a fever, too.”

            Sasuke stared, pulling the cloth back into place.  “But... I don’t feel sick, sensei.”

            “These exams are really rough on people,” Kakashi said, his tone changing to one of amusement.  “A few people always get sick or aggravate previous injuries.  It’s not so uncommon.  Add the stress of being in a life or death situation, your mind starts playing tricks on you.”

            “Oh,” Sasuke said.  That still didn’t explain how he’d been able to smell that Grass nin or track those Sound nin like he did.  Sick people can’t do that.

            “You should run along – don’t want to miss Naruto and Sakura’s matches, right?” Kakashi prodded, still in that amused tone.  “And don’t forget to go to the medic station to get that arm checked out.”

            Sasuke nodded absently and started back towards the stands, missing the way his teacher’s face shifted from amused to deadly serious.


	12. Watching

            “What did I miss?” Sasuke asked, approaching his teammates.  He felt a little calmer now that he’d talked to their teacher, but his shoulder still ached pretty badly.

            Naruto gave him a toothy smile.  “Not much, Shino totally kicked that loudmouth from Sound’s ass.  Blew his arms _right_ off! Pow!”

            “Naruto!” Sakura hissed, jabbing him in the ribs.  “It’s not funny!”

            Sasuke resisted the urge to shake his head at their antics.  “Who’s next?”

            “That guy from Sand, the jerk-ass with the mummy on his back,” Naruto said, pointing down at the arena.  “Kabuto’s other teammate is fighting him.”

            Sakura frowned, also looking down.  “I don’t think he’s going to win.”

            “Oh?” Sasuke quirked an eyebrow.  Sakura could be really flaky and girly, but she wasn’t the smartest girl in their year for nothing – her book smarts paired with her innate deductive reasoning made her a scarily difficult person to trick.  Well, when she wasn’t being a total fan girl, that is.

            She pursed her lips, leaning forward and indicated the wrapped item on the Sand ninja’s back.  “I have a theory about what that thing he’s carrying is.  Mind you, it’s just a theory, but I think we’ll find out soon enough.  This fight isn’t going to be long if I’m right.”

            Naruto scratched his head in confusion.  “I don’t get it.”

            “Honestly, did you ever pay attention in class?” Sakura complained.  “It may be some kind of special equipment!”

            Sasuke frowned, watching the fight start.  “You’re probably right,” he said, pausing as he winced, rubbing his shoulder, and added, “We shouldn’t be afraid to use everything in our arsenal, but... we shouldn’t drag our feet either.  We can’t afford long fights.”

            Sakura, as expected, immediately stared at him, eyes widening a little in realization, before drifting to his shoulder and finally back to the arena.   She chewed on her lip a moment and then nodded resolutely.

            Naruto harrumphed, crossing his arms, and leaned forward against the railing.  “You think we’re still being targeted, don’t you?”

            “They didn’t get what they wanted in the Forest of Death,” Sasuke said quietly.  “Whether it’s here or after, they’re going to take another shot.  Be ready for it.”

            The Sand ninja, who had been lying limply in his opponent’s arms, suddenly sprang to life, shedding human form as the bandaged bundle that had formerly been on his back opened to reveal the real Sand ninja.


	13. Rivalry

            Sakura’s face when she was called to fight Ino was nothing short of blind panic.  It was understandable, Sasuke supposed.  The two girls had been rivals for his affections for a long time and, he wasn’t sure, but he seemed to remember always seeing them around together before _the incident_.  She looked so lost.  It was unnerving and that weird fight-prey-kill thing was rising up in his gut like some kind of vile creeper.

            He had to do something.

            Had to.

            “Sakura,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder.  “You’re up.”

            “Yeah!” Naruto piped up, smacking her on the back in a reassuring manner.  “Go show her what a badass kunoichi you are, Sakura! Come on!”

            Then, something changed in her eyes and Sakura was back to being Sakura and not _prey_.  A slow smile crossed her lips and she marched forward confidently, a strange almost-enraged intensity building around her as she descended to the arena below.

            The fight began in earnest shortly afterward, Sakura and Ino charging each other with calculating precision and borderline reckless anger in a flurry of attacks.

            “Wow, Sakura rules, Sasuke!  Did you see that move?” Naruto exclaimed, eyes wide.

            “Sakura has perfect basic chakra control.  She’s improved greatly,” Kakashi’s voice said from behind them.  The jounin approached the railing, looking down at the fight in interest.  “Ah, I see I’m not too late to watch.”

            Sasuke grunted and rubbed his shoulder a little.  “She and Ino are pretty evenly matched.  It might take a while.”

            Kakashi nodded in agreement.

            “Oh wow, I think Sakura went too far with that last insult,” Naruto winced, leaning back a little.

            Ino was, indeed, quite furious by all appearances – Sakura had managed to insult her into cutting off her hair and throwing a royal snit – but something didn’t sit right.  Ino was a sneaky girl and, as much as she could act brain dead when chasing him, Sasuke knew Ino had brains and cunning to back her up.  His suspicions were utterly vindicated a few minutes later when Ino sprung a trap using her hair and chakra as rope.

            “Guys,” Sasuke managed, watching Ino-in-Sakura in horror.  “Please, _please_ don’t ever let Ino use that on me.”

            Naruto laughed, clapping him on the back, and then started shouting at Sakura to wake up and beat her already.


	14. Bark

            The next couple of matches were a blur, but they’d learned some pretty valuable things.  Firstly, Ino and Sakura would not be advancing to the next round, having ended their fight in a double knockout.  Sakura had bounced back from the fight more confident than before and he couldn’t blame her for it: she’d done _really_ well out there.  The fact that Sakura had managed to toss off actual mind control was pretty damn amazing.  Secondly, the Sand kunoichi was definitely a tough customer and they’d need some pretty damn careful planning to get around her fan technique if they got put against her.  And thirdly, Shikamaru was either insane or a genius, possibly both.

            “My turn!” Naruto crowed, practically bouncing on his way down.

            Sasuke sighed and resisted the urge to roll his eyes.  He had a feeling this was going to be a headache-inducing match in terms of sheer stupid.

            Naruto opened his mouth and immediately proved him right.

            “Sensei, there’s a new symptom,” Sasuke groaned.  “I’ve become able to see the future.”

            It was always amazing how much Kakashi managed to say without saying a single word, only one eye visible and a mask on.  Currently, his expression seemed to say something along the lines of _‘Oh, really, now’_ and _‘No, you just know Naruto.’_

            “Kick his ass, Naruto!” Sakura yelled.

            Sasuke blinked, staring at her in undisguised shock, his ears ringing.  Oh, the new boosted-confidence Sakura was going to take getting used to...  His shoulder suddenly throbbed painfully and he hissed, reminding himself that he just had to get through Naruto’s fight and then he could get it looked at.

            Naruto shrieked at the instructor as Kiba’s puppy turned red and there was more barking from the small animal.

            Sasuke growled, gripping the railing hard.  That sound was annoying.  “Naruto!  Stop messing around and end it!”

            His gut twisted sharply as his shoulder began to burn and the fury twisted like acid inside him.  Wouldn’t that stupid dog stop barking?

            “Sasuke,” Kakashi said sternly.  “Do you need to go see the medics?”

            The barking stopped – Naruto had tricked Kiba into knocking out his dog – and the burning in his shoulder started to go down.

            “I think,” Sasuke managed, taking a deep breath of air, “I think I’m okay.  My head just hurts, that’s all.”

            Kakashi gave him a look that said he really didn’t believe a word of what he just said.


	15. Parallel

            Neji’s fight with his cousin Hinata was cruel, even by Sasuke’s standards.  It made him want to retch and reminded him violently of _that man_.  Neji’s whole attitude had been irritating before, but now...

            Sasuke wanted to make him bleed.

            He gripped the railing hard, his knuckles going white as he ground his teeth and watched her cousin verbally belittle her into a shaking, tearful nervous wreck.

            In Neji’s place, he saw _that man_ and in Hinata’s place, he saw himself as he was on _that_ night.  Rage bubbled under his skin and it was taking everything he had to not leap down there.

            “Sasuke!” Kakashi growled, slamming a restraining hand on his shoulder.  “Your teammate’s matches are over. Go to the medic station, now!”

            It was like being doused in ice water.  Sasuke leaned forward, panting, and wobbled a little.

            Sakura gave him a concerned look and rested a hand on his forehead, hissing as she yanked it away, “Sensei’s right, Sasuke.  You’re burning up.”

            “Just a little longer,” he said, straightening up, still panting.  “I need to see this.”

            Sakura’s expression shifted to questioning, but a shake of Kakashi’s head and a resigned sigh kept her from asking.

            Naruto also shot him a look and then nodded, turning back to the match.  “Don’t say things like they’re final, idiot!  Kick that fucker’s ass, Hinata!”

            “Yeah... yeah,” Sasuke said and then shouted, “Show him that you’re not weak!  Show him what it means to be –“

            He stopped suddenly, realizing that he’d been about to say his own last name, and then gingerly touched his forehead.  Between his fingers, the younger version of himself wavered back into Hinata.  “Just kick his ass,” he finished lamely.

            “Sasuke, after this fight, you will go to the medic station immediately,” Kakashi said.  “Is that clear?”

            “Crystal,” Sasuke muttered.

            At first, it looked like Hinata was doing well and then the whole illusion began to crumble as Neji systematically shut her down in the cruelest way possible.  With each blow, Sasuke felt something in him crushed as his own mind replayed the horrific events of _that_ night. Yet, Hinata still got back up and kept going, just as he had all those years ago.

            All the chatter around him faded into noise as he watched, his hands gripping the metal with white knuckles.  Would this be how it would go for him if _that man_ were to appear now?

            Then Hinata was saying something, “...The only one lost and despairing in the destiny of our houses is _you_.”

            Neji stiffened and attacked even as the proctor shouted at him.

            This time, the fury flared and Sasuke didn’t want to stop it, his hands clenching into fists in rage.  “Bastard!”

            Kakashi, Gai, and Team Eight’s jounin sensei were all suddenly in the arena below, each one restraining Neji.  Naruto was already halfway over the railing when Hinata collapsed, Lee and Sakura already on his heels, and Sasuke didn’t hesitate to follow them to the girl’s side. Hinata was severely injured, that much was clear, and her image wavered with that of his own from long ago. 

            “Weaklings will always be weak,” Neji spat. “Nothing ever changes.”

            Naruto stiffened.

            Sasuke clenched his fists, his body shaking.  “No... I refuse to believe that.”

            Everyone stared at him in surprise and he didn’t care – he was too angry and mixed up in his head.

            “You, Hyuuga... You’re walking the path of a monster I knew,” Sasuke ground out, “A monster that I intend to kill.  Stay on this path, become like him, and I swear I _will_ kill you.”

            The medics clustered around Hinata as they sped through preparation to transport her for emergency treatment.  Her heart was giving up.

            “Go with the medical team, Sasuke,” Kakashi said, tapping him on the shoulder.

            Neji scoffed, seeming completely unaffected.

            “You,” Naruto swore, clenching a fist smeared with Hinata’s blood as he glared at Neji.  “You’re going down.”

             Beside him, Lee nodded.

            Sasuke paused as he passed the Hyuuga and glared at him.  “Pray you fight Naruto or Lee, because I won’t be as merciful as them.”

            Above, the railing he’d been gripping was twisted, the impressions of his fingers visible in the metal.


	16. Confession

            Sasuke didn’t get see the fight with Rock Lee against Gaara, but he _did_ see the aftermath when Lee was hurried past him on a gurney.  It wasn’t pretty.  Clearly, that boy was someone they’d have to watch out for in the next round.

            “He had a crush on me,” Sakura said, absently, her head turned towards the doors Lee had disappeared through.

            She had been diagnosed with a concussion and her eyelids drooped sleepily.  The scroll on medical jutsu Sasuke’d managed to sweet talk a nurse into letting him borrow to keep her busy dangled from her fingertips.

            “Hey,” Sasuke said, shaking her shoulder, “You heard the nurse.  No sleeping.”

            Sakura shook her head, blinking.  “Yeah, sorry.  I’m just tired.”

            “You can rest when they’re sure you don’t have any nerve or brain damage and no bleeding in your brain,” he told her.

            Sakura huffed in mild annoyance, leaning back into the pillows of her bed.  “Do me a favor?  Never become a medic-nin, Sasuke.  You have terrible bedside manner.”

            He stared at her and then turned away, smirking a little.

            “Sasuke?” Sakura asked.

            He gave her a look.  “Yeah?”

            “Something’s wrong with you and,” she paused, licking her lips nervously, “...I really, really like you.  Promise me you’ll get help, okay?”

            Sasuke turned away again, the dull whisper of _prey_ twisting in his mind.  He knew she wouldn’t have had the courage to say that if she didn’t have that stupid crush on him. “You shouldn’t bother yourself.  I’m fine.”

            They’d given him antibiotics and strapped an ice pack to his shoulder.  It was nothing, they’d said, just a minor infection that would clear up soon.

            “I’m going to go get some more water,” he said at last, standing.  “Don’t go to sleep.”

            There was silence a moment.  Then, she sighed and settled back into her bed.  “Hot and cold - I can’t figure you out, Sasuke.”

            He blinked, confused, and turned to leave.  Girls were so strange.

            “Sasuke?” Sakura asked again.

            He paused in the doorway, one hand on the doorframe.  “Yeah?”

            “What was that with Hinata?  You were like a whole different person.”  She bowed her head and added, “I’ve never seen you talk like that before, not to anyone.”

            Sasuke paused, uncertain of what to say.  He wasn’t sure how to put it so that someone as naïve as Sakura could possibly hope to begin to understand.  At last, lowering his eyes, he answered, “She... reminded me of someone who wasn’t strong enough...”

            Sakura looked at him quizzically.

            He shook his head.  “It doesn’t matter.  I’m going to get stronger and then things like that won’t happen again.”

            “Sasuke,” she said, her gaze turning soft, pitying.

            Unbidden, he could feel _those_ eyes from _that_ day on him again, choking him in their insufferable pity and false compassion.

            _We’re so sorry, Sasuke.  There were no survivors._

            He turned abruptly and stomped out into the hallway, the door slamming shut behind him.

            Pity was the last thing he wanted.

            _Prey,_ something in him hissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally all cross-posted from FFn!
> 
> :V I will probably finish this at some point.
> 
> Oh, Sasuke... aka, "I AM CONCERNED AND WOULD BE UPSET IF YOU DIED BUT I AM UNABLE TO EXPRESS IT IN A NICE WAY"


End file.
